Razor



April 2, 1946- P. H. LoTTHAMl-:R v2,397,555

' RAZOR Filed Sept. 15) 1944 gmc/rm Patented Apr. 2, 1946 RAZOR Paul H. Lotthamer, Elmhurst, Long, Island, N Y.,

assignor of forty-two and ono-half per cent to James' C. Friel, and ifteen per cent to Lucille Tewell Application September 13@ 1944 Serial-No-I 553,870,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to safety razors off the type which incorporate a hone, normally positicned away from the shaving zone, but reciprocable against the edge of the blade responsive to shaking of the razor.

One of the objects of the invention is to mount the hone on a swinging lever having longitudinal play in its pivotal connection and a spring for biasing it yieldingly toward the blade.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the spring so that it moves past dead center at each oscillation of the lever, thus positively moving the hone to its opposite limit positions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a razor of the class described, in which theinterlocked through relative sliding movemcnt between them, and heir-1g provided with interengaging longitudinal guiding faces to facilitate the movement of the parts, the cover plate beingheld yieldinglyl looked through the reactive pressure of the blade in attempting to recover` its normal atshape.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description proceeds. Y

In the drawing: u

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a razor embodying the principles of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are similarl side sectional views showing the hone respectively in retracted and extended positions;

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 Figure 5 is a perspective View of the blade supporting plate;

Flguref is aperspective view of the cover plate; 45

Figure 'l is a detail showing in ond elevation the, means for securing the hone to the swinging lever;

lFigure 8 is a perspective view of the head portion ofY the frame, showing details' of construction.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the frame I comprises a handle 2 and ahead 3 transverse with respect to the handle. AIn the embodiment shown, the frame is of plastic construction, dividodinto twonalves 4 and 5 along a plane perpendicular to the direction of the edge sof the lcladc-y rlhese halves are iormod with suitable matching recesses which define a springy housing 5 'l and o flot chamber 8. the latter opening by way oi a slot il on the iront of the frame adiacent thc head. The two halves. are formed with complementary bosses lo on the one hali,'match ing, with corresponding recesses, not shown, on tho other half., hy which the two halves are precisoly aligned- A blade supporting plate H1 engages the hood 3, bridging the interface of seperation, and. is secured to the two 4.halves lov screws through the apertures l2 into the respectivo parts. oi tho head. The parts of the handle are secured by a rivet i3, which interscetsthe chamber 8 between the ports of the handle. Obvously; if desired. thev frame may be made. in one picoe and of metal. c

Itwill be. observed from Figures 2 and 3 `that the blade supporting plato ril inolihes downward- 1v toward tho front, and that the hood 3 of the irai-nc is diverted rearwardlywith respect `to the :pasr of the handle,y so that the forward portion ci the cover plate ovcrharies the .front portion or the handle, providing c recess beneath said blade supporting plata into which the hohey M when retracted position, Said hohe is mounted on the upper end of an arm or lever l5, the. lower end of which is pivoted aboutthe rivet L3. A

It will be observed that the intermediate portion of the arm I5 is straight and narrower than the diameter of the handle` and that boththe upper and lower ends of said arm Eire odset lforwardly, so. that when the hone is in retracted position the straight intermediate portion of the arm lies close to. the rear side of the handle. This permits the arm l5 to romain within the bounds of the handle for the greater part of its length throughout thc ronge of oscillationy .of solo arm. When .in extended position, the portion ofV said arm adjacent the hone projects through the slot `9. The, lat chamber 8 is provided with an inclined Wall lli at its forward sidey which serves as a stop t0 limit the forward motion ofv the arm I5J I The blade supporting plate ll is provided with blade locating projections .Il and la, adapted to interfit with corresponding apertures the razor blade, and so positioned that the activo `edge G of the blade projects forwardly beyond the iront edge of the supporting plate. A middle projection I8" is preferably stamped up from the sheet metal bodyof the supporting plate I l, and formed proper shaving position with I9 to lock the parts together against the blade.'

pended upon to move the hone through its full amplitude at each oscillation.

Figures 2 and 3 also show that there is lost motion in the pivotal connection between the' arm I and the handle. This permits the spring to act upon the arm I5 throughsaid lost motion 'Ihe'cover plate is slidably moved to or from locked position longitudinally with respect to the supporting plate II. Its width is such that the forward edge 23 engages the overhanging for-v ward portion of the blade back of the edge 5.

The shape or convexity of the cover plate is such Y that when the edge 23 rests upon the at blade, the tongue 22 is above the level of the `hook end I9, so that the cover plate must be pressed down against theblade in order to lower the tongue fully to enable it to slip beneath th'e hook end i9. This depresses the free edge 6 of the bladebelow the plane of the supporting plate II, and whenV 'the pressure is released 'with the tongue 22 ben eathV the hook end I 9,-the blade carnbers4 upwardly, pressing yieldingly against the cover plate, holding lthe tongue 22 frictionally against the hook end I9, retaining the cover plate in locked position. To assist in guiding'the cover plate slidably into orvout of lockedfposition, 'it is provided with arlongitudinal flange 24 at the rear, which engages the rear edge 2 5 ofthe supporting plate. As the cover plate maybe slid VVat Ya high level withrespect toV the supporting plateuntil the tongue approaches the hook end I9 and then depressed to a lower level to permit locking engagement of the parts, the flange 24 extends depthwise below the edge 25, and the yhead of the frame is correspondingly rabbeted to receive'the extended edge of said flange. The flange 24 also serves ,as a guard confronting Jthe inactive edge of the blade. The cover plate is shaped to form a ridge 32, againstY which the camberedblade presses ina region between the locating projections and the inactive edge, thus equalizing the upward thrust of the tongue 22 against the under side of the hook end I and at the same timerpressing the inactive edge of the blade firmly against the supporting plate I.I

The hone I4 is mounted on Vthe arm I5, through the intermediary of a plate 23, rigidly secured to the arm I5, and having upturned end lugs 21 which yengage thesides ofthe hone I 4 inthe inclined manner shown in Figure fl.. The 'upper end `of the arm. I5 may pass through a slot in the plate 26 and secured4V by Voverturning `it in opposite directions on the inner side ofthe` plate 26, as shown at 28 in Figure 4. The plate.26 has a shaving guard 29, which when the Vhone I4 `is in retracted position shown in Figure 2, assumes respect to the edge 6 of the blade.

biasing the hone yieldingly against the edge iiV of the blade. Thus, any misalignment between'the blade edge and the surface ofthe hone is compensated and a uniform contact pressure produced.

The provision of upward yielding pressureof the hone yagainst the blade instead of downward `yielding pressure of the blade against the hone obviates the necessity of providing awresilient cover plate.

The hone maybe made of a homogeneous piece of abrasive metal such as castiron, but is preferably made of abrasive particles molded in a suitable matrix.

While I have inthe above description disclosed Ywhat I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the details of construction'and arrangement of partsV are by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. Razor comprising a blade supporting unit including a-handle, a honev supporting unitincluding an arm and a hone carried thereby, said hone supporting unit being pivotally connected to said handle with the hone in vposition to move in engagement with the edge of a blade carried by said blade supporting unit, when said razor is shaken, andv a snap spring engaging said hone Supporting unit to positively biasit towards the limits of its range of movement.

2. Razor comprising a blade supporting unit including a handle, a hone supporting unit including an arm and hone carried thereby,'said hone supporting unit being pivotally connected Ato said handle with lost motion in its pivotal-con-V nection, the hone being positioned to move in engagement with the edge of a blade carried by Vsaid blade supporting unit, vwhen said 'razor'is shaken, and a snap spring engaging said hone supporting unit to positively biasit towards'the Y limits of its range of movement, said spring being Figures 2 andY 3 showthat the lower en-d, of f* its upper end surrounding the spring seat 30. It

is obvious vthat as the lever I5 voscillates, the spring 3I snaps across dead center, thus positively bias- Ying the'hone I4 towards both its retracted andY extended limits of oscillation. This makes for a much more positive action than in other razors of the shaking type, in which inertia alone is de- A coil spring, 3l Yis.

positioned to bias said arm through said lost motion to press said hone Yyieldingly against the edge of the blade. I

3. Razor comprising a handle having a'longitudinal chamber and having means at Yone end supporting a flexible bladewith its shaving edge extending transversely forwardly of said handle, an oscillatable arm swingable in said chamber pivotally connected to said handle with lost motion in its pivotal connection, a transversely extending hone carried by the end ofjsaid'arm, swingable therewith in a fore and aft direction through a range of amplitude in engagement' with the edge of the blade, and aspring in'said'handle thrusting between saidhandle and armjacting through said lost motionto bias said hone yieldingly against said blade edge.

Y4. Razor comprising a handle having a longitudinal chamber and having means vat' one endV supportingV a flexible blade with its shaving .edge extending transversely forwardly 'of said handle, an oscillatable arm swingable in said chamber pivotally connected intermediate its ends tosaid handle with lost motion in its pivotal "connection, a transversely extending Ahone carrled'by one end of said arm swingable therewith in a fore and aft direction through a range of amplitude in the forward part of which range it is in engagement with said blade edge, and at the rear limit of which range it is out of contact with said blade edge, a spring seat at the opposite end of said arm oscillatable therewith, and a spring within said handle fixed at one end, engaging said spring seat at the other, whereby it is flexed on opposite sides of said pivotal connection to positively bias said hone toward the forward and rearward limits of its range of movement, said spring acting through said lost motion to press said hone yieldingly against said blade edge.

5. Ra'zor comprising a handle having a longitudinal chamber and having means at one end supporting a flexible blade with its shaving edge extending transversely forwardly of said handle, an oscillatable arm swingable in said chamber pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said handle, a transversely extending hone carried by one end of said arm, swingable with said arm in a fore and aft direction through a range of amplitude inthe forward part of which range it is in engagement with said blade edge, and at the rear limit of which range it is out of contact with said blade edge, a spring seat at the opposite end of said arm oscillatable therewith, and a spring within said handle iixed at one end, engaging said spring seat at the other, whereby it is flexed on opposite sides of said pivotal connection, positively biasing said hone towards the forward and rearward limits of its range of movement.

6. Razor comprising a frame including a head and handle, said head being offset rearwardly of the axis of said handle and having a blade supporting plate extending forwardly of said axis, a blade sharpening unit including a hone and supporting arm therefor, the latter being swingable about a pivot within the handle and oscillating said hone, the width of said arm being so related to the width of the handle as to conne said arm within said handle for the greater part of its length throughout its amplitude of swing, the end of said arm adjacent said hone being offset forwardly through a slot in said handle to bring said hone beneath the forwardly extended portion of said blade supporting plate when in retracted position.

7. Razor comprising a frame including a head and handle, said head being offset rearwardly and having a blade supporting plate extending forwardly, said handle having a chamber i'lat in a fore and aft direction opening in a slot in the forward side of said handle adjacent said head, an arm oscillating within said chamber having an intermediate longitudinal straight portion and forwardly offset ends, one end being pivotally connected to said handle in such position that the straight portion of said arm is confined within the bounds of said handle throughout its amplitude of swing, a hone supported by the other end of said arm in a position beneath the extended portion oi said blade supporting plate when in retracted position, said chamber having a forwardly inclined wall forming a stop to limit the forward oscillation of said arm and hone.

'8. Razor comprising a frame including a head and handle divided in halves along a plane perpendicular to the edge of a blade carried by said razor, a blade supporting plate bridging said halves secured to both parts of said head and a rivet through said handle securing both parts of said handle.

9. Razor as claimed in claim 8, said halves being formed to define a ilat chamber between said handle parts, an arm in said chamber pivoted on said rivet, and a hone at the end of said arm swingable in operative relation to said blade edge.

10. Razor including a blade supporting plate having blade locating projections in longitudinal alignment intertting with corresponding apertures in a blade and so positioned as to cause the forward portion of the blade to overhang said plate, said plate also having a projection having a forwardly directed hook end, a cover plate slidable longitudinally relative to said blade supporting plate to blade securing position, having an aperture receiving said hook end and a depressed tongue from an end wall of said aperture underlying said hook end, the front edge of said cover plate overhanging the front edge of said blade supporting plate and being below the plane of the blade supporting plate when said cover plate is in locked position whereby when said tongue is beneath said hook end said blade is biased into an upward camber frictionally pressing said tongue against said hook end.

ll. Razor as claimed in claim 10, said cover plate being formed with a longitudinal ridge to the rear of said locating projections, contacting the cambered blade along a line between said blade locating projections and the inactive edge of said blade.

12. Razor as claimed in claim 10, said cover plate having a flange at its rear contacting the back edge of said supporting plate to serve as a guide in sliding said cover plate to and from locked position, and to retain said tongue firmly against the projection having the hook end.

PAUL H. LOTTHAMER. 

